Mission
Pas de Deux Photo,LLC is a professional organization for dance photographers. Our mission is to support dance photography by providing education and community to photographers, dance studios and companies, and dancers. Pas de Deux is a big supporter of small business, entrepreneurs, freelancers and hobbyists. This group includes photographers working with local dance studios doing volume portrait sessions as well as those working with metropolitan companies and focusing on individual portraiture - and those doing both of these!
Listen to Ron talk about how we chose the name Pas de Deux Photo and explain how we got the idea for Pas de Deux Photo.
Our Name
What We Do
The name Pas de Deux Photo comes obviously from the dance term, pas de deux, which in essence means a dance with two partners. When photographers and dancers are on a photo session, their work is truly collaborative, much like a pas de deux. There is an exchange of ideas and information as the photos are taken. And so the name was born.
Partnerships are a key to successful dance photos. Dance photographers partner not only with dancers, but also with dance studios, dance teams, and dance companies. Our work brings together artists and the collaboration of small business owners.
Conference - This premiere event includes a trade show, studio setups, portfolio-building, world-class dance photographers as speakers, professional advice, and artistic inspiration. It's also an opportunity to meet other dance photographers of all levels, becoming the ultimate mash up of community, networking, portfolio-building, and education in a long weekend.
Competition - The annual Pas de Deux Dance Photo Competition is a celebration of dance photography from around the world with great prizes from our sponsors. Images in multiple categories are judged by a jury of top dance photographers and professional dancers.
Webinars
We host free monthly webinars about dance photography with ideas and advice from leading dance photographers. Register to be part of future webinars and see recordings of past events on our Education page.
Facebook group
Our FB group is a great place for inspiration, ideas, feedback and friendship. You can take this link and request to join the Pas de Deux Facebook group.
Merchandise - Elevate your dance photography with our dance positions banners and our Extended Poses Guides for each dance style. Our banners include over 100 poses and bring ideas and professionalism to any photo session. Our multi-page guides takes poses to the next level with more individual poses, leaps, group poses and more.
We hope you sign up for our newsletters so you can remain apprised of anything going on in the dance photography community, and we'd love to have you involved in the community forums.
Leadership Team
The Pas de Deux Photo, LLC Leadership Team is responsible for the planning and organization of conferences and workshops as well as training materials for dance photographers. It is a partnership between founders Ron & Beth McKinney and dance professionals Jessica Garrett, Alexa Culclasure and Gwynn Loud.
RON MCKINNEY
BETH MCKINNEY
FOUNDERS
Ron and Beth McKinney are the founders and directors of Pas de Deux Photo, LLC. They are small business owners and have a 3,250 sq foot studio in Crystal Lake, IL, with two permanent dance floors. Ron began shooting dance in 2009 and often scoured the internet for resources such as what we're offering here at Pas de Deux Photo, but found little available on dance photography. We grew our business rather blindly, and we want to help any other aspiring dance photographers at whatever level of experience and skill that they're at. Ron offers both individual portrait sessions as well as taking pictures for dance schools, teams and studios.
Both Beth and Ron are former executive board members of the Phoenix Film Festival. Both are YPAD (Youth Protection Advocates in Dance) certified and have completed the SafeSport Trained Core Course.
In addition to developing programming for Pas de Deux Photo, LLC, Beth is a licensed school counselor and former teacher. She holds a Masters of Counseling degree from Arizona State University and she earned a second Masters degree in Educational Leadership in 2021.
JESSICA GARRETT
ALEXA CULCLASURE
GWYNN
LOUD
Creative Directors
The Creative Directors for Pas de Deux Photo, LLC select dance models for conferences and workshops and are responsible for the educational experience of dancers. Our Creative Directors are all YPAD (Youth Protection Advocates in Dance) certified, have completed the SafeSport Trained Core Course and have completed the Danscend training course. More information about the professional backgrounds of the Creative Directors can be found on the Dancer page.